Appointments

Making an Appointment

Please telephone or call at the surgery you are registered with to arrange a suitable time. We try to ensure that non-urgent appointments are within two working days of request although appointments with a doctor of your choice may take longer. We are sure you will agree that priority must be given to urgent appointments. Please give the receptionist as much information as possible so that they may assess the urgency of your appointment

Routine Appointments

These are by appointment only.

Emergency Appointments / Triage List

We run a doctor triage session every morning to improve our service to you. When you contact the surgery and ask to see a doctor that day you will be asked if your problem is urgent for today. Our receptionist will ask for your full name, contact telephone number and details of your condition.

All this information is then passed to our triage doctor who will phone you back to assess your needs. Please be available to receive a telephone call from the doctor on the telephone number you have provided. If you use an answer phone at home please switch this off.

You must phone the surgery back if you have not been contacted by 11.30am.

If you cannot wait for assessment because your condition will not permit this, then you should go to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Accident and Emergency Department.

Urgent cases are seen on the day.

Tell us if you are in a telephone box. We will ring you back. Say immediately if your call is an emergency.

Text Message Reminders

All our patients with a mobile number on their record are eligible to receive text message reminders for upcoming appointments and health information.

The service is completely free, we will never disclose your information to anyone else and you can opt out of the service at any time by simply replying 'STOP' to any of the messages you receive.

Registering for online booking

If you would like the ability to book or cancel appointments at any time, day or night, then simply click on the link above, then click on 'Register' and follow the on-screen prompts. (Please note as from 1st April 2014 you no longer need a registration letter from the practice to do this!)..

Alternatively, you can request a letter of registration from us by completing our contact form. Please remember to include your name and date of birth with your request)

Once you have received your online registration letter you will now need to complete your registration online. This handy 'how-to' document will guide you through this process.

1. YOU ARE ABLE TO BOOK APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH OF OUR SITES USING THIS FACILITY. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ARE BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT AT THE CORRECT SITE.

2. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BOOK APPOINTMENTS FOR GYNAECOLOGICAL REASONS (COIL FITTING, SMEARS ETC.) AS THESE WILL SOMETIMES REQUIRE DOUBLE APPOINTMENTS. PLEASE BOOK THESE TYPE OF APPOINTMENTS VIA OUR RECEPTION TEAM.

THANK YOU.

Home Visits

Our doctors typically see five patients in the practice in the time it takes to do a single home visit. For this reason, we ask our patients to come to the practice if at all possible. However, we can visit you at home if your condition means you cannot attend.

Please ring before 10.00am to arrange a visit and let us know if your condition is urgent. The doctor may telephone you to ascertain if a visit is a priority or medically indicated.

To Assist Everyone Let Us Help You By:

Telling us if you want someone to accompany you during an examination

Asking for a private room, if appropriate, to discuss any confidential matters

You Can Help Us By:

Being on time for your appointment

Letting us know if you need to cancel

Calling for a home visit or urgent appointment before 10.00am

Requesting emergency prescriptions only between 2.00pm - 4.00pm

Ringing for the results of tests after 2.00pm

Remembering that the results of tests can only be given to the patient concerned.

Failure To Attend Appointments

If a patient fails to attend a pre-booked appointment on two occasions in a six month period, a warning letter will be sent to that patient, advising them that a further occurrence could risk removal from the practice.

If the patient fails to attend another appointment he/she will be removed from the practice list.

The practice manager will write to the patient and explain the reasons for removal including details of how to register with another practice.

**HELP US TO HELP YOU - KEEP IT OR CANCEL IT!**

People living in Blackpool can now make an appointment to see a GP in the evenings and at weekends. NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the GP practices across the town are working together to make extra appointments available for people at more convenient times.

All of the evening and weekend appointments will take place at Whitegate Health Centre on Whitegate Drive in Blackpool and should be booked by calling your own GP practice as normal.